Press Review

“Zhamanak” reacts to former President Robert Kocharian’s harsh criticism of the Armenian constitutional referendum held on Sunday. The paper says the criticism may provoke another war of words between Kocharian and President Serzh Sarkisian’s ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). “The Armenian society will only benefit if Robert Kocharian and the HHK start reminding each other of something,” it says. “Hardly anyone doubts that they have a lot to remind each other of.” The paper believes that the two sides will not go too far in their recriminations because the HHK knows that it is also responsible for what happened during Kocharian’s rule.

“Zhoghovurd” adds its voice to opposition allegations that the HHK as well as the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) are obstructing vote recounts in dozens of precincts where vote rigging was allegedly rampant on Sunday. The paper says the alleged obstruction clearly planned beforehand shows just how worried Sarkisian and his political allies were about the possible victory of a “No” vote in the referendum. It dismisses as “laughable” official explanations for the HHK’s decision to demand recounts in many other precincts where voting was far more orderly.

“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” accuses Dashnaktsutyun of turning a blind eye to irregularities reported during the referendum. The paper also mocks Dashnaktsutyun leader Aghvan Vartanian’s claim that the party’s failure to issue any official statements does not mean that it is “silent” about fraud. “Maybe the Dashnaks, angered by mass falsifications, went down to the basement of their Central Committee building [in Yerevan,] locked its doors and quietly made a statement,” it says. “But seriously speaking, who cares about whether or not Dashnaktsutyun has issued a statement?”

“168 Zham” describes as “disgraceful” the fact that only 12 members of Armenia’s 131-seat parliament voted on Wednesday against the state budget for next year drafted by the government. “This means that there exists no real opposition in Armenia,” claims the paper. “There only remain political forces who hold opposition positions but in reality fully operate in the government camp. In this sense, Dashnaktsutyun is certainly the frontrunner. Its leaders did not vote on the budget yesterday. And yet they continue to call themselves opposition, holding their breath and waiting for the authorities to form a coalition and give them a few ministerial posts.”